Tile-molding machine.



110.858.303- PATENTEDJUNE25,1907.

. J. I. MoLIMANS. TILE MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) m3. '1, 190%,. I

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No. 858,303. I PATENTED JUNE 25, 1-907.

J. I. MoLIMANS. TILE MOLDING MACHINE.

ABPLIOATION FILED MAR. 7, 1907.

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UNITED "srArEs PATENT oF Io-E.

Specification ofLetters Patent.

mPatented'June 2.5, 1907 Application filed March 7,1907- gerial To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JAMES I. MOLIMANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sherburn, in the county'of Martin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tile-Molding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for 'molding drain tiles and the like, and the object of my invention is to produce a machine in which drain tiles formed of cement or other material may be molded more rapidly, under a more uniform pressure and with a less expenditure of labor than has heretofore been possible.

With these objects in View my invention consists in certain constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts, the preferred form of which will be first described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then the invention particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein. the same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs, Figure 1 is a top plan view of myinyention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation with the' parts in section to more clearly show theconstruction. Fig. 3 is adetail sectional view of one of the molding platforms with attached'parts. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of the lock for the platform carrying ring. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the mold casing. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the lever for carrying the filling funnel. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of the plunger and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the upper section of the mold casing.

1 and 2 designate supporting frames whichare connected together by means of cross struts or braces 3. Mounted in suitable bearings 4 on the side frame 1 and 2 is a shaft 5 which is shown as carrying at one end a flywheel 6 and at the other end a crank wheel 7 on which is mounted the crank pin 8.

9 designates a driving sprocket or gear which is shown as loosely mounted on the shaft 5 and provided with a clutch face 10. Y

11 designates the co-operating section of the clutch which is shown as fast on the shaft 5.

12 designates an operating lever pivoted at 13 to one of the braces 3, the lever being provided with a forked end 14 adapted to tion 36 in each lever 31.

engage a groove formed between the clutch face and the driving gear or sprocket 9 to shift the sprocket or gear longitudinally of the shaft to cause the clutch face'lO to engage and disengage with the clutch member 11.

15 designates an operating arm pivotally connected at 16 to the other end of the lever 12. The arm is shown as extending through a suitable guide opening in the frame 2 and provided with an operating handle 17.

18 is a spring surrounding the arm 15 and mounted between the side frame 2 and a collar 19 on the arm. This spring is adapted to hold the clutch members 10 and 11 normally disengaged, but permits of the arm 15 being drawn toward the right in Fig. 2, to cause the clutch to engage.

20-20 designate a pair of supporting rods which extend out from the frame 2 and near the upper portion thereof, and 21-21 a second pair of rods which extend out near the lower portion thereof. These rods are each provided with an eye 22 in their outer ends, and these eyes are adapted to aline and through them passes a supporting pillar 23.

24 designates the hub of the mold carrying ring or wheel, the hub being centrally perforated and supported on the pillar 23 by means of the collar 25 fast on the pillar.

26 designates arms which are secured at their inner ends to the hub 24 and at their outer ends carry a ring 27. I

28 designates mold supporting platforms, one platform being secured 'to each arm 26 near its outer end. These platforms are each centrally perforated to permit of the passage of the core 30 therethrough. The

cores 30, in the form of construction shown,

are each pivoted at their lower end to a lever 31 which is pivoted at 32 to one end of a link 33, the other end of the link being pivotedat 34 to an arm 26.

35 designates a guide rod which extends down from each arm 26 through a perfora- This arm is curved as best shown in Fig. 3 in such a manner as to cause the lever 31 in its upward and downward movement to move the core 30 in a right line, which movement is permitted because of the link connection 33fbetween the lever 31 and the arm 26.

37 are a pair of springs extending down from each arm 26 and between the sides of which the lever 31 extends. Thesesprings ress against the sides of'the lever 31 and old the same in position, the springs acting as a brake on the movement of the lever.

38 is a bell crank lever pivoted at 39 to a 5portion of the side frame 2, and 40 is an arm carrying a filling funnel 41 at one end and connected at its other end to one arm ofthe bell crank 38. This funnel is so positioned, as is best shown in Fig. 1, as to be adapted to be dropped down over the top of each meld on the wheel at one point in the path of the movement thereof. This funnel is, as shown, provided with a cone 42 on its interior which is connected by means of the fins 43 to the interior of the funnel. These fins project down below the lower edge of the funnel and are adapted to center the core and also hold the mold casing in proper relative position during filling operation, as will be hereinafter described.

44 is a connecting rod, one end of which is pivoted on the crank pin 8 of the crank disk 7, and to the other end of which is connected a rod 45 carrying at its lower end a plunger head 46. This plunger head is solid and is provided at its lower end with a projecting flange or shoulder 47, the flange extending but slightly below the face of the main portion of the plunger. The plunger 46 is of a size substantially equal to the diameter of the cores 30 and the shoulder 47 is of a size substantially equal to the jacket 48 of the mold. This acket as is best shown in Fig. 5 preferably consists of two semi-cylindrical sections 49 hinged together by means of the pintle 50, one of these sections being provided with a latch 51 provided near the free end thereof, adapted to engage a pin on the free edge of the other section. By this means the jacket can be brought together and latched in cylindrical form, and after the tile has been molded unlatched and removed therefrom. This acket 49 is adapted to rest upon a pallet53 which rests upon the table 28, the pallet being provided with an opening through which the core 30 can extend. Preferably, and as shown, the pallet is formed with a flange 54 which holds the jacket 48 in position thereon. Preferably, I use a filling or cap section 55, which is formed similar to the jacket 48, except that it is provided on one edge with the depending fingers 56 which are adapted to engage over the sides of the jacket as best shown in Fig. 2.

57 designates a rod which is mounted in guides 58 in the frame 2, and 59 is an operating lever pivoted on the support 60, the lever 59 being pivotally connected to the rod 57 61 designates a latch carried by the rod 57, which is shown as being formed by a projection extending out from the side of the rod 57. This latch is adapted to engage notches 62 cut in the periphery of the rim 27 in line with the radial arm 26, and by this means the wheel is locked in position with one mold directl beneath the plunger 46, and the next mold irectly beneath the filling funnel 41.

63 is a ring provided on its lower side with a flange 64, thering being connected by means of the arm 65 to the rod 57 carrying lock 61. This ring surrounds the plunger 46. and upon the lock 61 dropping into the slot 62 the ring drops down with the rod 57 and engages the top of the cap portion of the mold to-hold the jacket of the mold in alinement with the plunger 46 during the compressing operation.

66 is a guide extending out from the side of the frame 2 to guide the rod 45 carrying the plunger 46 in its reciprocation.

In the operation of my invention, when the parts have been assembled, as heretofore described, the cores are moved into the position shown in Fig. 2 by the pushing up, on the outer ends 67, of the levers 31, the parts being held in this position by the springs 37 engaging the sides of the levers. A pallet 53 is now slipped over each core 30 and is supported, upon the platform 28. The mold jacket 48 is now latched. together by means of the latch 51 and placed over the core 30. its lower edge resting within. the flange 54 of the pallet 53. On top of the jacket is placed the cap 55 with the fingers 56 extending down outside the jacket. The revolution of the wheel, one step at a time, brings each mold, as will be seen, around beneath the filling funnel 41, which is dropped down on top of the cap on the jacket by operating the lever 38, the funnel being normally held away from the path of the jacket by means of the latch 68 engaging the lever 38. When the funnel has been depressed by releasing the lever from the latch and. moving the funnel into the position shown in. Fig. 2, the fins 43 enter between the jacket 48 and. the core 30 centering both the core and jacket. The cement or other material from which the tiles are to be formed is then poured in through the funnel 41 until the jacket and cap are filled. The lever 38 is now operated to raise the funnel off the cap and when moved in this position is held there by means of the latch 68. The lock 61 is now raised but of engagement with the notch 62 on. the

rim of the wheel with which it has been in engagement and the filled mold brought under the plunger 46 by revolving the wheel, the latch 61 dropping into the notch 62 in line with such mold when the parts are in proper alinement. By means of the arm 15 the clutch formed by the sections 10 and 11 is now engaged and the shaft 5 rotated. This through the connection described depresses the plunger 46 into the mold. As the plunger head is solid the face of the plunger engages the top of the core almost as soon as the flange 47 on the plunger comes in contact with the cement or other material in the mold. The further downward movement of the plunger acts to compress the material in the mold and at the same time force down the core. This forcing down of the core with the compressing operation is very important, as it permits of a thorough compression of the entire mass of material in the mold and causes substantially all of the pressure of the plunger to be applied upon the material therein.

By movin the core with the compressing movement of the plunger all tendency of the material to jam in between the core and the jacket is obviated, as such jamming is prevented by the movement of the core and the result is that I obtain a tile the material of which has been equally compressed from the top to the bottom thereof. After the compressing operation has been completed and the plunger returned to its raised position the latch 61 is raised Which releases the wheel and at the same time raises the rin 63 off the top of the cap of the jacket. y the compression produced by the plunger the material in the mold has been pressed down below the joint between the cap and the jacket. After the. latch 61 is raised the wheel is moved another step which brings the filled and compressed mold in position where an operator can press down on the free end 67 of the lever 31 and withdraw the core entirely from within the mold. The completed tile can now be moved off the platform 26, the core pushed up and the molding operation repeated.

The steps I have above described are the steps which are gone through with successively with each mold. It is to be of course understood that while one mold is being filled, a second mold is being pressed and a third mold is in position to be removed from the platform in the manner described.

' While I have described what I believe to be the preferred form of my invention, I desire to have it understood that many changes can be made in the form, construction and arrangement of parts, and other forms of construction and mechanical connections substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for molding hollow tiles, the combination with a platform provided with an opening, of a core movably mounted in said opening, a jacket adapted to be placed on the platform and surround the core, and a plunger having a solid head adapted to be forced into the jacket to compress the material therein and simultaneously force down the core as the material is compressed.

2. In a machine for molding hollow tiles, the combination with a wheel, of a plurality of cores movably mounted in the wheel, movable jackets adapted to be supported around the cores, and a plunger under which the cores and jackets can be successively moved, said plunger being adapted to press the material contained by the core and the jacket and simultaneously force down the core as the material is compressed.

3. In a machine for molding hollow tiles, the combination with a mold casing, of a core movably mounted within the casing, a filling funnel provided with means for covering the top of the core, fins holding said means in osition in the funnel, said fins being provi ed with projections adapted to enter between the casing and core to center the core in the casing.

4. In a machine for molding hollow tiles, the combination with a wheel, of a plurality of cores movably mounted the wheel, movable jackets adapted to be supported around the cores, a plunger under which the cores and jackets can be successively moved, said plunger being adapted to press the material contained by the core and the jacket and simultaneously force down the core as the material is compressed, and means for locking the wheel in the successive pressing ositions.

.5. In a machine for molding ho low tiles, the combination with a platform provided with an opening, of a link pivoted to the latform, a lever pivoted to the link, a core a apted to pass through said opening pivoted to vsaid lever, and a guide for said lever to cause the core to move in a right line through said opening.

6. In a machine for molding hollow tiles,

the combination with a platform provided with an opening, of a link pivoted to the platform, a lever pivoted to the link, a core adapted to pass through said opening pivote sides of said lever to yie dingly hold said core in any position to which it may be moved.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES I. MOLIMANS.

to said lever, and springs bearing on the 

